Diane Schüler
Diane Schüler '''(November 13, 1972 - July 26, 2009) was '''the fourth child and only daughter of Warren Hance, Sr. and Eileen (McKeough) Hance. Death At approximately 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 26, 2009, 36-year-old Diane Schuler left the Hunter Lake Campground in Parksville, New York, in a red 2003 Ford Windstar that belonged to her brother. Riding with Schuler were her 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter, and her brother's three daughters (ages 8, 7, and 5). Her husband, Daniel Schuler, left the campground at the same time in a separate vehicle since he had a pickup truck and took the dog with him. A co-owner of the campground later said that Diane Schuler appeared sober when she departed. On the way to West Babylon, Schuler stopped at a McDonald's fast-food restaurant and a Sunoco gas station in Liberty. While at the gas station, on surveillance video with no sound, it was reported that she attempted to buy over-the-counter pain-relief medication, possibly for a painful tooth, but the gas station did not sell any. Schuler left Liberty just after 11 a.m., traveling along Route 17/Interstate 86 and the New York Thruway (Interstate 87), entering the Ramapo service area, and crossing the Tappan Zee Bridge, heading east.9 Several witnesses later reported seeing a red minivan driving aggressively on Route 17/Interstate 86 and Interstate 87, including aggressively tailgating, flashing headlights, honking the horn, moving in and out of lanes, and straddling two lanes.9 At 11:37 a.m., Schuler called Warren Hance, her brother and father of her three nieces, from the van. She reportedly told him that they were being delayed by traffic.14 According to a police report, Schuler was seen by witnesses at approximately 11:45 a.m. by the side of the road with her hands on her knees, as if vomiting; she was seen again in the same position a short time later, north of the Ramapo rest stop. At about 1 p.m., another call was made to Hance from Schuler's cell phone. During this call, one of Schuler's nieces reportedly told her father that Schuler was having trouble seeing and speaking clearly. Schuler herself then talked to Hance and said that she was disoriented and could not see clearly. Police believe that the car was stopped in a pull-off area beyond the Tappan Zee Bridge tollbooths for at least part of this call. Hance reportedly told Schuler to stay off the road while he came to meet them; follow-up calls from Hance to Schuler were not answered. For some reason, she left her cell phone on the highway; it was found by another motorist by the side of the road near the tollbooth.9141617 Investigators have not determined what route Schuler took from the bridge to the Taconic State Parkway ramps near Briarcliff Manor. At 1:33 p.m., two drivers called 911 after noticing Schuler's van edging onto the northbound exit ramp of the Taconic State Parkway near Briarcliff Manor. The end of the exit ramp, at the intersection with Pleasantville Road, is marked with two signs that read "Do Not Enter" and two signs that read "One Way".1819 Within the next minute, four more 911 calls were placed by motorists who reported that a car was traveling the wrong way down the parkway going approximately 75–85 miles per hour (121–137 km/h). The van traveled south for 1.7 miles (2.7 km) in the parkway's northbound passing lane before colliding head-on, at approximately 1:35 p.m., with a 2004 Chevrolet TrailBlazer, which then struck a 2002 Chevrolet Tracker. At the time of impact, Schuler was traveling approximately 85 mph. Schuler, her daughter, and two of her nieces were dead at the scene of the crash (the children did not appear to have been in car seats, or even to have had seatbelts fastened), along with the three men in the TrailBlazer: 81-year-old Michael Bastardi, his 49-year-old son Guy, and their friend, 74-year-old Dan Longo. The two occupants of the Tracker suffered only minor injuries. Schuler's severely injured third niece and Schuler's 5-year-old son Bryan were taken to area hospitals, where the niece died later that day.920 Bryan is the only passenger of Schuler's vehicle to survive, suffering from broken bones and severe head trauma. He remained hospitalized before returning home in early October. Two men who witnessed the accident and smoke rising out of the van ran to assist the occupants. After removing Schuler from the van, the two men saw a large, broken Absolut Vodka bottle by the driver's side. The men tried to pull the girls out of the van, and noted that they had no pulse. Because the children possibly were not seat belted in and thrown together, the men did not even notice Bryan stuck under another child. Bryan was the only survivor of the accident. Category:Deaths Category:2009 deaths Category:Car Accident Deaths Category:Death by accident